Whiffletree.



@wi/Wmo@ A1\To.`89'7,740. i PATENTED SEPT. l, 1908.

A. 0. HEIMSNESS.

WHIFFLETREE. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 27. 1907.

am @4T/77?@ fue Nonms PzrERs co.. wnsmyaron, D. c4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT O. HEIMSNESS, OF FILLMORE, NORTH DAKOTA.

WI-IIFFLE TREE T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT O. HEIMsNEss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fillmore, in the county of Benson and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Whiflletree, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in whiffletrecs for vehicle poles.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of whiflietrees for carriages and various other vehicles, and to increase the strength and durability of the same and to arrange the swingletrees in the plane of the pole to afford a straight draft or pull, and prevent the swingletrees and doubletree from twisting on their pivot bolts under the strain incident to a heavy load.

A further object of the invention is to provide a doubletree adapted to dispense with the stay straps usually employed for limiting the swing of doubletrees.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood thatvarious changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :1-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a pole equipped with whiffletrees, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken longitudinally of the whifiletrees.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

The whietrees are designed to be employed for use on buggies, wagons and various other kinds of vehicles, and the doubletree is composed of upper and lower bars or members 1 and 2, arranged in spaced relation and centrally pivoted to a pole 3 by means of a bolt 4, or other suitable fastening device. The ends of the upper and lower bars or members of the doubletree are connected by bolts 5, forming pivots for swingletrees 6 and receiving bushings 5, which space the upper and lower bars or members 1 and 2 and pre vent them from binding against the swingletrees. The swingletrees are mounted betweenltheuppergandalowerbarsor members Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. November 27, 1907.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Serial No. 404,066.

of the doubletree and operate in the same plane as the pole, thereby affording a straightdraft, which effectually prevents the swingletrees and the doubletree from twisting on the pivot bolts under the strain caused by a heavy load. The pole is reinforced and strengthened by a metallic sleeve or socket 7, composed of upper and lower sections, the sides of the sleeve or socket being centrally divided and secured to the pole by transverse rivets S, or other suitable fastening devices. The sections of the sleeve or socket are approximately U-shaped, and they fit over the upper and lower T-shaped plates 9 and 10, which connect the pole with the curved cross bar or bow 11. The plates 9 and 10 extend along the pole to points beyond the sleeve, which fit over the said plates 9 and 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The curved cross bar 11 is also connected with the pole by side braces 12, provided with downwardly curved portions 13, extending beneath and arranged to clear the lower bar or member of the doubletree. The pole is also provided with a bushing 14 for the bolt 4, which has a squared upper portion 15, arranged in a rectangular opening of the top bar or member, whereby the bolt is interlocked with the double tree and is caused to turn therewith. The bushing prevents the pole being worn by the turning of the pivot bolt incident to the oscillatory motion of the doubletree.

The lower member of the doubletree is provided with a depending rectangular bend 16 of greater width than the pole, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and the side portions of the bend are vertical and are arranged to engage the sides of the sections of the sleeve ofthe pele to limit the swing of the doubletree. By this construction the swing of the doubletree is limited without employing stay straps, or analogous devices for this purpose.

The swingletrees 6, which are truss-shaped, are composed of upper and lower bowed bars or members, converging from the centers to the ends and having their terminals 17 welded together. The welded terminals 17 are provided with trace-engaging heads 18, formed integral with the upper and lower bars and connected with the same by a reduced trace-receiving portion.

The upper bar or member of theA doubletree is provided at o pposite sides of the pole with upwardly eXtendinglarchedf-j portionsl 9,

located above the inner ends of the swinglel trees, and adapted to ailerd suHicient space' to enable the inner traces to be readily hitched to and disconnected from the swingletrees.

Having thus fully described my invention, what lf claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a pole, ol" a doubletree composed of spaced members rcceiving and pivotally connected to the pole, one ol" the members being provided at the said pole with a bend forming opposite poleengaging portions arranged to limit the swing ol the doubletree during the operation thereof to dispense with stay straps or chains, and swingletrees carried by the doubletree.

2. The combination with. a pole, ol a doubletree composed oll spaced members receiving and pivotally connected to the pole, the lower member being` provided with a' depending rectangular bend having sides arranged to engage the sides of the pole when the doubletree is in use to limit the swing of the doubletree and dispense with stay straps or chains, and swinglctrees carried by the doubletree.

3. The combination with a pole, of a doubletree composed of spaced members receiving and pivotally connected to the pole, one ol" the members being provided at the said pole with a bend forming opposite poleengaging portions arranged to limit the swing ol the doubletree, a sectional sleeve mounted on the pole and arranged to be engaged by the doubletree, and swingletrees carried by the doubletree.

4. The combination with a pole, of a doubletree composed of spaced upper and lower bars or members receiving and pivotally connected to the pole, the upper bar or member being provided with arched portions, and the lower bar or member having a central depending bend forming opposite side portions arranged to engage the sides of the pole during the operation of the doubletree to limit the swing of the same and dispense with stay straps or chains, and swingletrees pivoted between' the ends of the bars or members of the doubletree and extending inwardly to the said arched portions.

5. The combination with a pole having a curved cross bar, of a doubletree composed of spaced upper and lower bars or members receiving and pivotally connected to the pole the lower bar or member being provided with a central depending rectangular bend forming opposite vertical side portions arranged to engage the sides ol the pole to limit the swing of the doubletree, when the latter is in use, to dispense with stay straps Ior chains, side braces extending from the pole to the cross bar and having downwardly curved `iront portions extending beneath the doubletree and spaced from the central depending bend thereof, and swingletrees pivoted between the upper and lower bars or members of the doubletree.

G. The combination with a pole, of a doubletree composed of spaced members receiving and pivotally connected to the pole, one of the members being provided at the said pole with a bend forming opposite poleengaging portions arranged to limit the swing of the doubletree, a sectional sleeve mounted on the pole and arranged to be engaged by the doubletree, a cross bar arranged at the rear end of the pole, and upper and lower connecting plates securing the cross bar to the pole and extending through the sectional sleeve and embraced by the upper and lower portions thereof.

In testimony, that l claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT O. HEIMSNESS.

Witnesses:

GEO. MCCLELLAN, ROBERT Hoornno 

